


Our Ways

by cephalopod_groupie



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Romance, please don't hate me for shipping this ok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-30 23:31:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10175093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cephalopod_groupie/pseuds/cephalopod_groupie
Summary: Slow-burn Jaylah/Scotty story that takes place on the Enterprise.





	

Things were going very smoothly for Jaylah since she joined the Enterprise crew. Everyone was thrilled to have her on board. Kirk was glad to have another strong warrior on his side and Uhura was happy to have a new friend.

But Scotty in particular was the most happy. He loved watching her progress and how she became an integral part of the crew. And he _absolutely_ tried to ignore the warm feeling in his chest whenever she walked by him, or smiled at him, or was pleased with herself for carrying out duties successfully. Her genuine smile was so pure and beautiful. And Scotty loved to see her strength in action, how she could rip out faulty cables with her bare hands or carry heavy boxes of supplies under one arm. He caught himself smiling too often.

One day several engineers were working on some routine maintenance when Jaylah accidentally tipped over a tool box and the devices inside clattered to the floor.

“Were you trying to make a mess?” a particularly cocky young teased. Scotty frowned from some short distance away, disappointed at the engineer’s erroneous remark. He wondered for a moment if Jaylah would break code of conduct and punch the man in the windpipe like he deserved but she remained silent, her head down. She picked up all the tools and replaced them neatly in the box and walked away.

“Lass? ….Lass?!” Scotty ran after her. She was was pretending to work on something when she was really trying to fight off tears of frustration.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes,” she lied.

“It’s not your fault, lass.”

“Now he thinks I am stupid,” Jaylah said bluntly, forcibly removing a panel to aimlessly check its contents.

“If he does it’s not important.”

“I had too many things…in my mind. I did not mean to make the mistake.”

“I know, lass, he’s one of those people who likes to point out when anyone is wrong.”

“My people do not do that.” Scotty often tried to forget how cruel and strange Earthlings could be, but now he could not ignore it when it affected someone, when it affected...her. 

“Yes. I’m sorry. Humans shouldn’tae do that, but sometimes it happens.”

“I do not know your ways. I thought I would learn.” Jaylah’s voice was hard and pragmatic, but laced with sadness and disappointment. 

“I don’t think we do either really. And you _are_ learning. Don’t be s’hard on yourself.”

“Not quickly, not like I thought.” Jaylah turned to him, her face oddly vulnerable and soft. 

“It’s no’ as easy as all that; these things take time,” Scotty said in his usually unpatronizing voice.Jaylah locked onto his gaze, something she was very good at doing...something that turned his heart into a melting blancmange. With little warning Jaylah embraced him. He hardly had time to react, to hold her too, and she was off again, no doubt returning to what she had been working on. It was difficult to read the meaning of that hug, but whatever the connotation, Scotty knew she was showing genuine affection. It would take time to know her ways too.

**Author's Note:**

> No idea where I'm going with this because my brain is fried from extreme anxiety and depression at a really significant time in my life and yet here I am starting a new fic that I know people dislike please don't send me hate reviews. Thanks.


End file.
